It's September and our activism calendar is filling up fast! Want to help immigrants in MA, get ranked choice voting on the ballot, or support the ROE Act? Defund hate, participate in the Climate Strike, secure our elections, or protect right whales? Develop our 2020 election strategy, attend a fundraiser, or register voters? We can help with all those things and more!
Fall is a busy time, so don't forget to check our homepage and website calendarfor the latest information. We'll be adding and updating events and actions frequently until the next Muster comes out mid-month!
MEET WITH US IN SEPTEMBER!
Join us at our monthly Activism Evening on September 9, our MI Book Club Meeting on September 25, or our Weekday Warriors Meeting on September 27. We'll also also be participating in Indivisible's #DefundHate campaign next week, supporting the student Climate Strike on September 20, registering new citizens to vote on September 24, and collecting signatures for the proposed ranked choice voting ballot question. Make plans to join us!
Monthly Activism Evening
Monday September 9, 7-9:00pm
First Parish Church, 7 Harrington Rd., Lexington At this month's Activism Evening, we'll begin discussing our strategy for the 2020 elections. Come and help us decide how to best use our energies to build another blue wave over the next 14 months! We'll also learn how to collect signatures for the proposed Ranked Choice Voting ballot question and get updates on other key actions happening this month.
Register New Citizens to Vote
Tuesday September 24, 11:00am-noon
Malden High School, 77 Salem St.,Malden Join us at this voter registration event for new citizens organized by MIRA. We'll help newly sworn-in citizens fill out voter registration forms. All materials—clipboards, forms, and pins—are provided. No prior experience necessary - MIRA will provide training. We also hope to visit Rep. Katherine Clark's new district office in Malden before or after this event. Let us know if you plan to join us.
MI Book Club Meeting
Wednesday September 25, 7:15-8:40pm
Lexington Community Center, 39 Marrett Road,Lexington Come share information about a favorite book and help us decide what books to read this fall. We'll also be revisiting On Tyranny, the book we discussed at our first meeting two years ago. New members are always welcome and we provide a summary of the book for those who haven't had a chance to read it yet. RSVP here.
The State Legislature's Joint Committee on Transportation will hold a hearing on the Work and Family Mobility Act (H.3012, S.2061) this Wednesday, September 4 at 9:30 in Room B-1 at the State House. This legislation would enable all qualified state residents to apply for a standard Massachusetts driver’s license, regardless of immigration status. Attend the hearing to say that Massachusetts needs Driver’s Licenses for All. See this link for more details.
If you can't attend the hearing,email or call your state legislators and ask them to support the Work and Family Mobility Act. As this editorial in the Boston Globe supporting the legislation notes, thirteen other states already have passed similar bills and a dozen more states are currently considering them.
HELP GET RANKED CHOICE VOTING ON THE MA BALLOT
Last month Voter Choice MAfiled a petition for a ballot question to ask MA voters to adopt ranked choice voting. If the Attorney General certifies the language of the question in early September, Voter Choice will have a little over two months to collect more than 100,000 signatures in order to pass the first hurdle to get the RCV question on the ballot. Help support this effort by:
Joining us to collect signatures this fall. Sign up here
Attending a training session for signature collectors. Voter Choice will be holding several online training sessions this week. Sign up here.
Pledging to attend the RCV hearing at the State House this fall (date/time TBD). Sign up here.
TAKE ACTION TO DEFUND HATE
The biggest fight on immigration in Congress this year will be over funding. The Dept. of Homeland Security has spent more than four billion dollars this fiscal year expanding immigration detention to implement Trump’s border and immigration policies. Newly released documents show that ICE is now attempting to raid FEMA, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, and many other agencies to compensate for its massive overspending, going after $271 million in funding to expand detention beds, implement cruel policies that endanger asylum seekers, and tear children away from their families, homes, and life-saving healthcare.
Indivisible National has designated September 9-13 as a #DefundHate Week of Action, part of a campaign focused on reducing funding for ICE and CBP. Join Indivisibles across the country for a National Call In Day on Monday, September 9: use this link to call your reps and ask them to defund hate.
Minuteman Indivisible is also organizing or participating in local events, including a walk from the Old North Church to Concord, to spread the word that we need to #DefundHate. We'll be updating our website with details on these local events, but send us an email here if you think you'd like to participate and we'll let you know how you can join in.
PARTICIPATE IN THE YOUTH-LED CLIMATE STRIKE & WEEK OF ACTION
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
SIGN MAKING FOR THE LEXINGTON CLIMATE STRIKE
Join students and supporters in the large meeting room at Cary Library at 7pm to make posters, banners, and other materials for the Sept 20 climate strike in Lexington! Materials will be provided, but any extras that you can bring along (including markers/paints, poster board/large pieces of cardboard, yard sticks/wood for mounting signs, tape) would be appreciated. No need to buy new, bring/repurpose what you have at home.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE
Participate in this international event, planned by and featuring youth, highlighted in the U.S. by the participation of Greta Thunberg from Sweden.
Locally, there will be a large demonstration in Boston and also one in Lexington organized by LHS students from 10 - 11:00am at the LHS football field. We'll be joining with Lexington GWAC in a march at 9:30 from the Battle Green to LHS where we'll support the students as they talk about their climate concerns and proposed actions. Get more details on the LHS students' climate strike website and RSVP here. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
After the Lexington event, consider going into Boston for the Boston Climate Strike Rally at City Hall Plaza starting at 11:30, followed by a March to the State House at 1:00pm and action at the State House from 1:30-2:30pm. See this link for more details.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
CLIMATE CATASTROPHE TOUR KICKOFF
Join 350 Mass at noon at Park Street Station in Boston for the start of their Climate Catastrophe Tour, part of their Climate Strike Week of Action. They'll be protesting the Baker administration's approval of permits for the Fore River Compressor Station in Weymouth and will then travel on the T to a rally in Quincy Center. See this link for more details and to RSVP.
HELP PASS THE ROE ACT
Minuteman Indivisible is part of the statewide ROE Act Coalition. The legislature needs to hear from supporters of the ROE Actfrom across the state. Without big advertising budgets, we need to reach voters by mail, on social media platforms, and person to person.Here's what you can do:
Send postcards to our legislators and/or fellow MA residents asking them to support the ROE Act. We'll have postcards at our meetings this monthor you can email us to get postcards to fill out on your own. You can also write postcards at Caffe Nero in Concord with our friends from Concord Indivisible on September 17 from 7-9:00pm. RSVP here.
Join us at Mystic Valley Action for Choice's monthly meeting in Arlington on September 11 from 6:30-8:30pm. A member of the ROE Coalition will talk about the Act, including the current messaging about the "Parental Consent" section of the bill, and light refreshments will be served. RSVP or sign up to be notified of future meetings here.
Volunteer for other ROE Act Coalition actions such as making calls to MA constituents from home or at phone banks in September. Sign up here.
END GUN VIOLENCE
Sickened by the epidemic of gun violence in this country? Get together with other local residents to support organizations that are working to make change and find out how to take action.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
BENEFIT CONCERT FOR MOMS DEMAND ACTION
Lexington says #Enough and Moms Demand Action MA are hosting an afternoon of music and solidarity from 3-4:30pm at First Parish Lexington as part of The Concert Across America to End Gun Violence. The concert features string quartet, clarinet, and vocalist performing Mozart, Schumann, and Dvorak. Suggested donation $20 for adults. All proceeds benefit Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. See this link for more details and RSVP here. Donation not required for admission.
DEMAND THE SENATE PROTECT ELECTION SECURITY
Mitch McConnell is trying to prevent our nation from taking action on Election Security. But we have a chance to win $600 million to secure our elections by the Congressional funding deadline at the end of September. The House has already passed a bill calling this funding for our top election security needs, so the target is McConnell and the Senate. On Tuesday, September 17, join us and other groups across the country in a nationwide day of action to Secure Our Vote!
Call your Senators at833-413-5906 and urge them to pass the $600 million House funding bill for election security.You’ll be given talking points and then be connected to the Capitol Switchboard.
Write a letter to the editor. Election security doesn’t get enough press, and when it does it gets lost in the noise. Enter your zip code into this super-helpful tool that will identify the newspapers in your area and provide a template for your letter!
Pass this information on. These actions, like the problem they’re addressing, are national. Even deep red states have officials who care about their elections. Even deep blue states have officials who need to hear how important the issue is. Let your family, friends, and contacts in other states know how they can participate and why they should.
SIGN A PETITION TO PROTECT RIGHT WHALES
There are currently only about 400 North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW) on the planet with only 100 breeding females. Most NARW die due to ship strikes and entanglements. Entanglements are so common that 85% of NARW have entanglement scars. And let’s be clear, entanglements are gruesome - they cut through the flesh of the whale, they pin the fins to the whale, they tie their mouth shut, etc. Technology exists to address this problem - rope-less gear! Please sign this petition to urge MA lobstermen to test rope-less gear this season before more whales die and the species becomes extinct.
HELP BUILD ANOTHER BLUE WAVE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
HELP TURN VIRGINIA'S HOUSE OF DELEGATES BLUE
Join Sister District and Concord Indivisible volunteers at Caffe Nero in Concord tonight from 7-9:00pm to write postcards for Hala Ayala who is running for VIrginia's House of Delegates. Elections in 2019 and 2020 are the last chance for Democrats to gain power in state legislatures prior to redistricting in 2021, which will determine congressional district maps for the next decade. RSVP here.
SEPTEMBER 4, 5 AND 6
REGISTER COLLEGE STUDENTS TO VOTE IN MAINE!
Join our friends at Swing Left to register students as they head back to school in Southern Maine:
Wed. Sept. 4, Southern Maine Community College, South Portland - RSVP Thurs. Sept. 5, University of Southern Maine, Portland - RSVP Fri. Sept. 6, Southern Maine Community College, South Portland - RSVP
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
DEMOCRATIC DEBATE WATCH PARTY IN CONCORD
Join our friends from Concord Indivisible at the Colonial Inn Tap Room in Concord to watch 10 presidential hopefuls square off in the third round of the Democratic primary debates. Grab a drink (cash bar) and have a little fun playing debate BINGO and trying Ranked Choice Voting. RSVP here.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
FUNDRAISER FOR CAROLYN BOURDEAUX (GA07)
Meet Carolyn Bourdeaux, who is running for Congress in Georgia’s 7th District, at this fundraiser in Lexington. This race is expected to be one of the most competitive house races in 2020. Carolyn narrowly lost in 2018 by 433 votes and the Republican incumbent is retiring rather than face her again.Get more details and RSVP here or donate here.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
FUNDRAISER TO #DITCHMITCH IN 2020
Our fellow Indivisible groups on Cape Cod and the Islands have raised $15,000 at a series of fundraisers this summer to support Kentucky Indivisibles who are working to flip the Senate seat currently held by Mitch McConnell. The final event will be held on Martha's Vineyard on September 21, from 4-6pm. RSVP here. Can't make the fundraiser? Donate directly to Indivisible KY here.
CHECK OUT WHAT WE DID IN AUGUST
August might be vacation time for many, but MI members were still busy taking action. Last month, we
Continued our summer canvassing for Ranked Choice Voting at the Lexington Farmers Market on August 6
Made phone calls for the special election in NC09, wrote postcards to MA voters for the ROE Act, and learned about issue canvassing in Maine to help vote out Susan Collins at our monthly Activism Evening on August 12
Wrote postcards to MA voters for the ROE Act at Activist Afternoons in Cambridge on August 25 and at our Weekday Warriors meeting on August 28
Attended the MA Legislative Hearing on gun bills on August 28
Individual members also organized and attended a successful fundraiser for Dan McCready with special guests Rep. Katherine Clark and Jimmy Tingle on August 28.
The Muster is coming to your inbox on a biweekly schedule this fall.
Keep checking theMI Calendarand our homepage for the most current line-up of events and actions.
Andjoin our Slackto stay in the loop! Your input is welcome!
